While over their long and fruitful history Volvo have always had a flawless record for producing vehicles that had every aspect of safety taken care of, they often seemed to lose out when it came to positive reviews on their interior trim. Well that seems to change with the current models, with many reviews reporting that the XC60 is among the best as far as interior trim to roll of the Volvo production line yet.
Dominating the cabin is Volvo's slim floating center stack, which first made its appearance with their S40 saloon, backed up with a macrocosm of finishes and colors, including wood, brushed metal and leather.
Either the 3.2 engined or the T6 and T6 R come in a possible equation of four trim packages starting from the Premier (available on the 3.2 engined versions only) moving on to the Premier Plus and reaching the ultimate Platinum level.
Standard features on the XC60 3.2 include roof rails, heated mirrors, super durable fabric upholstery, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, matching leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shifter, cruise control, climate control, CD player, HD radio, eight speaker sound system, Bluetooth, phone and audio connectivity and seventeen inch wheels with 235/65R H all season tires.
Those whose budget stretches to the Premier Plus will be rewarded with such extras as an eight way power adjustable passenger seat, leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, parking sensors and an attractive trim matched cargo cover. Moving up to the Platinum trim will mean that the XC 60 arrives with a 12-speaker audio system, rearview camera, and eighteen inch alloy wheels with 255/45R18 all season tires.
The undoubted top of the top of the VX60 variants is the T6-R which comes with all of the above as well as a sport tuned suspension, twin chrome exhausts, hide upholstery and twenty inch alloy wheels with 255/45R20 105V all season tires.
For those whose budget knows no limit Volvo have another two packages up their sleeves, the Climate and the Technology, which will take the Volvo XC60 Crossover SUV to entire new levels of finish.
As you would expect, safety features abound on the Volvo XC60 starting from front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and whiplash-reducing front seats, stability control, Volvo's City Safety feature that will, without driver intervention, cause the vehicle to apply its brakes to prevent a collision.
Fuel consumption for the Volvo XC60 3.2 liter 6 cylinder engine, according to the US EPA, averages at 22 miles per gallon, with 19 miles per gallon in the city and 25 miles per gallon on the open road, while the 3.0 liter turbo-charged six cylinder burns up an average of 20 miles per gallon with 17 miles per gallon in the city and 23 miles per gallon on the highway being reported in most reviews.
The Volvo XC 60 holds its own among some serious competition in the luxury compact SUV niche with such serious contenders as the Audi Q5, Ford Edge, Nissan Murano, BMW X5, Acura RDX, Infiniti EX35 not to mention Mercedes-Benz's GLK350 fighting for every customer.